The present invention relates to the use of fine powders in a method of cleaning tooth surfaces.
In the context of modern prophylactic treatment it is nowadays customary to remove hard and soft deposits from the hard substance of the tooth by cleaning. To remove the hard deposits, also called congrement or calculus, mechanical techniques, such as scraping with appropriate manual instruments, or the use of ultrasonication tips, are usually employed.
The so-called soft deposits, caused, for example, by consumption of coffee or cigarettes, are generally removed either with polishing pastes or by jet cleaning with a powder/water mixture. Jet cleaning is normally carried out with a mixture of sodium bicarbonate powder in water. This offers the advantage over polishing with pastes that the deposits can be removed much more quickly. A disadvantage, however, is that the powder/water mixtures used are abrasive to the tooth surface, as a result of which the areas of tooth treated become roughened. Consequently, a further workstep becomes necessary, in which the tooth surface must be smoothed again by means of polishing disks. Moreover, abrasiveness of the powder/water mixtures used leads to ablation of the hard substance of the tooth, which in the case of repeated use may lead to sensitivities, particularly in the neck region of the tooth.
GB-A-1 480 594 discloses a method of cleaning tooth surfaces with a water jet containing abrasive substances. Substances said to be suitable include coated or uncoated, organic or inorganic substances. Any indication as to which substances actually make it possible to clean the tooth surface gently and effectively is lacking.
In contrast, German Patent Application 199 10 559 describes the use of fine powders for producing a composition for the powder jet cleaning of root surfaces of teeth, i.e., subgingival tooth surfaces.
It is an object of the present invention to provide powders or powder mixtures for tooth surface cleaning which avoid the problems referred to.
This object is achieved through the use of powders and powder mixtures as described in the claims.